The Way Life Goes

So this time of year always makes me look back in the years and re-play different parts of my life. I cant say that this is always particularly fun for me, in fact in times it can be down right painful.

I find it weird that I went from this:


To this:


Then to this:


To this point where I am now:


I've never been very adventurous. I've rebelled in simple manners, like sneaking out of the house, staying out past curfew, dating before I was 16.

I've been through way more than people my age should. Bad divorce as I was a baby, hostile parent(s) growing up, being kicked out of my house as a teenager, the death of someone I loved, numerous disappointments to a good friend and confidante, bad experiences dating after high school, moving away from everyone I knew and loved for 6 months, disappointing my dad on numerous occasions and trying to live up to EVERYONES expectations of me. I dealt with people who disapproved of my marriage. Some who even hindered it at times. I've even made mistakes in my marriage.

Yet somehow through all of these "life lessons", I've found a good man who is my husband, have a wonderful child who is my son. I live in a house that may not always be clean or the best looking but that is full of love and will never turn a friend away.

I've never been overly smart. I never did any more than one semester of college.

I love with my whole heart and never hold back when I feel someone needs to be loved.

I have many friends who have been apart of my life for many, many years and friends who are new and just recently entered into this chapter of my life.

I wear my heart on my sleeve and get hurt easily, but I learn from every experience, although it may take a while before I learn what the lesson is.

I am very loyal to those who are loyal to me. It takes a lot for me to remove a loyalty I have formed.

I have lived a life torn between to families. Never really feeling whole anywhere until I foun the half that made my family.

I have cried when friends have cried. I have rejoiced when they have rejoiced. My heart has broken when they have been hurt and I have helped when they have needed an extra set of hands or a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen.

My life has not been simple, but has never been more than I can handle, although I swear there have been times in which one more straw would have broken the proverbial camels back.

There are certain points in my life I may wish I could alter, but there is nothing I wish I could strike out of "The book of Kristi's life". I am who I am because of my trials and hardships. The friends I have are the result of some of them. I have scars but no mortal wounds.

And although at times I feel an ache over a memory, or a regret over an event that took place, I merely have to look at what I have now in my life and I feel grateful agian!